Employment Search Guidelines

Sponsor:

Contact:

Affirmative Action Officer

Category:

Collegewide

Number:

100.003

Effective Date:

2015/02/01

Review Date:

2017/02/01

Keywords:

Employment Search, Search Procedures

Definitions

Statements

It is the policy of Empire State College to seek and receive affirmative action review and approval for all searches for full-time faculty, administrative and professional positions. The procedures for such review and approval are set forth below.

A. Search Procedures for Faculty, Professional and Administrative Positions

Starting the Search

The appropriate dean, director, vice president or designee completes the search request form in the HR recruitment system (Interview Exchange).

Concurrently, the dean, director or vice president consults with the appropriate supervisor to review and finalize the job description including specific requirements and qualifications for the job. If a faculty position, there is consultation with the provost/VPAA regarding the details of the faculty position including academic rank, tenure track (type of appointment), academic discipline and program responsibilities.

The dean, director or vice president appoints an individual to chair the search committee. Under special circumstances, the dean, director or vice president may chair the search, following consultation with the affirmative action officer.Note: A specific search committee composition exists for some administrative vacancies. Refer to College Bylaws Article VII, Consultation on Appointments and Dean/Associate Dean Search Committee Guidelines, as appropriate.

The dean, director or vice president and the search committee chair, in consultation with the Office of Human Resources, develop a search plan using the Search Request Form that includes:

the job description with the required and preferred qualifications (including degrees, educational experience, special skills, etc.), shift work hours other than normal work hours and salary range on the job vacancy template

a list of suggested and requested publications and other recruitment sources where the position will be advertised, including those likely to reach underrepresented groups

the search committee membership (striving to achieve appropriate gender and racial and ethnic diversity) and the name of the person assigned to staff the search

The dean, director, vice president or designee electronically submits the Search Request Form to the Office of Human Resources, via the HR recruitment system. The form is reviewed and approved by:

Dean or AVP of Area

VP of Area

AVP of Administration

VP of Administration

Affirmative Action Officer.

Once the position and search plan are approved and the job description agreed upon, the Office of Human Resources electronically notifies the dean, director or vice president and posts the position vacancy notice on the college website and places the advertisements. UUP professional vacancies are posted internally on the college website for 10 working days before external posting occurs. Various employment and search related materials are available on the Office of Human Resources Website.

The search committee chair arranges the first meeting of the committee to review the search processes. At this meeting, committee members will review the job description and qualifications, develop protocol and discuss confidentiality requirements for search committee members.

The Office of Human Resources provides password access to search committee members enabling committee members to review all resumes for a specific search. UUP professional vacancies are posted internally on the college website for 10 working days before external posting occurs. For UUP professional vacancies, the search committee establishes an internal process that reviews only those internal professional applicants who applied within the first 10 working days of the vacancy announcement. During this time, external applicants and those internal professionals who applied after 10 working days will not be accessible to the search committee. If no appropriate internal professional candidate is identified, the search committee will consider all applicants in the pool, including the early applicants. Candidates needing assistance in accessing the electronic applicant system may contact the Office of Human Resources at 518-587-2100,ext 2240.

Deposition Codes and Applicant Pool Certification

Following the search end date for receipt of candidate materials, the search committee meets and begins the process of identifying deposition codes for all candidates who apply. Deposition codes include:

does not meet minimum

meets minimum

meets minimum interview

meets minimum and preferred

meets minimum and preferred interview

withdrew

The search chair is responsible for moving each candidate into the appropriate deposition folder in the HR recruitment system.

Once each candidate has been placed into an electronic deposition folder and committee members have determined who they wish to interview (before contacting the candidates), the chair prepares a partially completed applicant pool certification form (Form E) to include the names of those candidates requesting to be interviewed (either via phone, face-to-face or by other electronic media).

The applicant pool certification form is emailed to the affirmative action officer for certification and approval. Approval is generally received within two days. The affirmative action officer, based on information supplied voluntarily by candidates about their gender, race and ethnicity, determines the composition of the pool and matches it against U.S. Census availability data, federal Department of Education statistics or other appropriate data for the position being searched.

The affirmative action officer then makes a determination about continuation of the search based upon:

the data contained both on the applicant pool certification form and the utilization and availability data

candidates selected for interview are not representative of the larger applicant pool and requests more complete information regarding reasons why candidates from protected classes were not continued or may ask for reconsideration of those candidates; or

the search may not proceed due to a failure to follow the college's affirmative action procedures.

In most instances, once the interview pool is certified by the affirmative action officer, access for candidates to the online application submission process ceases. Exceptions to this are discussed by the affirmative action officer and the applicable vice president.

Prior to scheduling applicant interviews, candidates of interest may be contacted to determine continuing interest, to confirm the salary range of the position and to inform them that listed references will be checked.

Applicant Interviews

Once the applicant pool has been certified (approved Form E) the search committee contacts selected candidates to arrange for interviews (telephone and/or face-to-face).

Interviews are structured. In general, the same or similar questions are asked of all candidates and the same amount of time is given to each candidate. Interviews are normally conducted in a similar way with all candidates. For example, if the search committee interviews some candidates by telephone because of their physical location, a local applicant should also be interviewed by phone. To the extent possible, all members of the search committee should be present for all interviews. All interactions with candidates should be considered part of the interview process.

Equal opportunity guidelines about fairness and equity apply to the distribution of travel funds to applicants to participate in interviews.

Selecting an Applicant

Following completion of all interviews, the search committee reviews the candidacy of the remaining applicants and identifies the top qualified and appointable candidates for recommendation, and conducts any subsequent reference checks to its satisfaction on remaining candidates under consideration. The committee submits its Search Documentation Form (Form F) to the appropriate dean, director or vice president for completion, and is then sent to the affirmative action officer for approval. The Search Documentation Form includes the names of those candidates interviewed, the candidate(s) recommended by the search committee to the appropriate dean, director or vice president and the candidate selected by that hiring officer.

The dean, director, vice president or designee may make a contingent offer to the candidate of her/his choice among the group of candidates recommended by the search committee.

If that individual does not accept the offer, the dean, director or vice president may make a contingent offer to one of the other recommended candidates or close the search if there are reasons that the remaining candidates are not appropriate.

After the candidate has tentatively accepted position, OHR should be notified to send application to candidate. Once returned, OHR will review and advise committee when formal offer can be made.

After a candidate has tentatively accepted the job offer, the dean, director, vice president or designee reports to the Office of Human Resources by submitting a New Hire/Rehire Form available through Interview Exchange with the salary, start date, any other relevant terms of employment and the resume of the selected candidate. The Office of Human Resources prepares an official appointment letter offering the appointment for signature by the president.

Maintaining Search Records

Search request forms, advertisement announcements and resumes/cover letters of all candidates who applied for the position will be retained for four years by the Office of Human Resources.

The affirmative action officer will maintain a file on the search that contains copies of the applicant pool certification form and the Search Documentation Form for three years.

All interview questions, rating forms, interview dates, etc. used by the search committee to determine those candidates best qualified for the vacancy must be retained for a minimum of three years by the hiring center or program. It is recommended that these documents are retained in the secretary's office for later access if necessary.

Appointments: Part-time Service to Full-time Appointments The college may convert the professional’s current part-time position to a full-time position. In this case a search is necessary unless a search waiver is approved by the affirmative action officer

Search WaiversIn cases of emergency, full-time positions may be filled on a temporary basis (not longer than one year) until an affirmative action search is subsequently conducted. To fill a full-time position on a temporary basis, the department seeking to hire must provide a written justification to the college's affirmative action officer. The affirmative action officer will present all valid requests to the college president who will make a determination about whether to grant the search waiver. No waiver of a search will be granted for longer than a one-year period unless authorized in writing by the president. The president may also undertake consideration of waivers of job requirements.

Affirmative Action Orientation

Training sessions about Empire State College search processes and the laws and regulations regarding affirmative action and equal employment opportunity will be provided regularly to employees. Training is available in ways accessible to employees. Refresher courses are offered to employees.

The search chair must have participated in affirmative action search committee training within three years of the time of the search. It is preferable that all members of the committee complete affirmative action training, but no fewer than three people must have participated in affirmative action training within the last three years.

The list of college employees who participate in orientation sessions (and the date of their participation) is maintained by the affirmative action officer. The college’s affirmative action plan is available upon request. Forms related to the search process are accessible on the college’s website.

Members of the President's Council will participate in information sessions regarding college search processes and the laws and regulations regarding affirmative action and equal employment opportunity.

B. Classified Staff Recruitment, Selection, Placement and Retention

Classified staff appointments are governed by civil service rules and regulations.

The search request form and the appointment form must be submitted to the Office of Human Resources for searches for classified employees.